


Letter from Juliet

by Pantherheart



Series: Fighting For Love [1]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:55:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6661045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pantherheart/pseuds/Pantherheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'I remember Gen telling me after I'd saved her life from a bunch of drug Lords that I do have feelings. "It's just… the volume's turned way down," she had said. I did not believe her at the time. But, I guess, I can't deny it now. Not with this tightness in my chest and this unwavering sadness in my heart.<br/>And it was Root, of all people, who evoke this within me.'<br/>-Primary Asset Sameen Shaw, New York Stock Exchange, 18:47, June 17, 2015</p><p>***</p><p>'The Machine was quiet for a moment, Then…<br/>You hate me?<br/>"Yes! I hate you and I never want to speak to you again!"'<br/>-Analogue Interface Root, 5:33, June 18, 2015</p><p>***</p><p>Shaw is gone. She sacrificed herself to save her Team. Now she's being held captive somewhere, being tortured by Samaritan. Root is furious, devastated, and hungry for answers. And then Bear shows her something... that might just ease Root's pain a little. It's a letter. And it's from Sameen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letter from Juliet

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for my Creative Writing class. Our end-of-unit assignment was to write a short story that also has a poem in it. So... here it is! Enjoy!!! :{)

UPDATE: Series Trailer

http://youtu.be/KE3gGRAXarc

 

_**Sameen Shaw** _

 

I slammed my hand down on the button and stood unmoving, staring down the scope of my gun at the approaching Samaritan operatives. At the front was Martine Rousseau, gun raised with a finger on the trigger, a wicked grin on her face and eyes filled with mirth.

I glared defiantly back at her and pulled the trigger of my gun. A man to Martine's left yelped and fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder in agony. Martine ignored her fallen comrade, simply stepping over him as if he were nothing but a rock in her path. Her eyes were locked on me and with that wicked grin still on her lips, she fired.

A pain exploded in my ribs and I felt a warm liquid seep through my shirt. I doubled over in pain, but I did not fall. My hand remained on the button and the gun firmly gripped in my right hand. I fired a couple rounds, hitting a Samaritan operative every time.

I smirked at Martine. _I never miss a shot._

Martine fired again. Blood splattered from under my jacket. Still, I did not fall.

Root's screams from inside the elevator grew louder, flooding past the haze in my brain and echoing in my ears.

Determined as ever, I fired another shot, taking down yet another operative. I took aim at Martine's chest, but before I could pull the trigger, I felt a bullet enter my abdomen and, finally, I fell.

I collapsed to the ground in a heap. Root's screams grew hysteric on the other side of the gate. I turned my head to see her knees give out beneath her. She collapsed on the concrete floor, fingers gripping the gate so tightly, her knuckles were white.

I stared into Root's terrified eyes. Tears were streaming down her face. There was a tightness in my chest, one I was not used to feeling. It was new and strange, but... oddly, not unwelcome to me.

This whole… feelings thing was uncharted territory for me. I'm a sociopath, self-diagnosed with Axis II Personality Disorder. I'm not supposed to have feelings. But… I do.

I remember Gen telling me after I'd saved her life from a bunch of drug Lords that I _do_ have feelings. "It's just… the volume's turned way down," she had said. I did not believe her at the time. But, I guess, I can't deny it now. Not with this tightness in my chest and this unwavering sadness in my heart,

And it was _Root_ , of all people, who evoke this within me. _Root_ , who—under the alias of psychologist Caroline Turing—had, not 20 minutes after we first met, tazed me, zip-tied me to a chair, and threatened to torture me with a hot iron if I didn't tell her where Harold was.

But a lot had changed since then.

Root had found the Machine. She'd become Her Analogue Interface. Harold, John, and I had locked Root in a Faraday cage inside the library for a week.

Then she'd gotten out. And, in the process of saving all our asses, Root had gotten herself captured by Control. She'd been interrogated. And when she wasn't cooperative, Control had tortured Root with lethal injections of illegal drugs. Control had even performed a stapedectomy on Root's right ear without anesthesia, in an attempt to render her connection to the Machine. But that didn't stop Root. She'd gotten her cochlear implant, restoring communication with the Machine.

And ever since then, Root has been throwing herself into dangerous situations without any concern of self-preservation, putting her life on the line time and time again. And it was all to keep us alive—Harold, John, Lionel, and me.

It used to anger me. It still does, but for very different reasons now. Back then, it was because I didn't _want_ her help. "I don't need protection," I had told her once. " _I_ do the protecting."

But, now, things are different. I've gotten to know Root for who she is—not for who she pretends to be. She's awoken the part of me that _feels,_ the part that gets sad, and happy, and scared. She's awoken the part in me that _loves_.

I can safely say that I care about Harold and John, and even Lionel. But when it comes to Root—and Bear, too—the feelings are stronger than caring whether they live or die. I guess… in my own way… I love them.

I knew before I kissed Root and locked that elevator that I probably wasn't going to make it out of here alive. But I didn't care. As long as my team was safe, that's all that matters.

You know how they say that in the last moments before you die, you see your whole life flash before you eyes?

Well, that's bullshit,

Because the only thing I see now, is Root.

I see her dark brown eyes, filled with mischief and a subtle sadness that she tries so hard to hide. But I know what to look for. I've seen it in so many people's eyes, I think it might be permanently imprinted in my brain.

I see Root's beautiful smile and her adorable grin and her infuriatingly endearing smirk. Sometimes, it reaches her eyes. Sometimes, not. It all depends on the situation, really.

I see Root, gun in each hand, firing at the kneecaps of the Brotherhood gang members. It really takes skill to fire two gins at once.

I see her sprawled out on the couch in my loft. She's bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest, just missing her heart. She was struggling to stay awake and it was clear she was in a lot of pain. Nevertheless, she smiled at me as I patched her up.

Then, I see Root in the subway. She's playing with Bear, wrestling with him on the floor. Of course, she lets the dog win. He lies on top of her and happily licks her face. Root is laughing and she has a smile on her lips. It's a genuine smile, one that reaches her eyes. She does not smile like that often; and when she does, it's usually directed at me or Bear.

My mind flashes back to the present in a rush, as if my head is being forced underwater by an unseen hand. Root's happy face is replaced by a terrified one and her laughter, replaced by desperate screams. My chest tightens even more, almost to the point where it's painful. My various gunshot wounds burn, but the look in Root's eyes hurts more than any bullet ever could.

The elevator doors slowly begin to close. I'm aware of Martine standing over me, her gun pointed at my head. But I ignore her. My eyes remain locked with Root's, trying desperately to show her everything that I'm feeling. I lift the corners of my mouth into a small, sad smile.

 _I'm sorry, Root,_ I think, wishing I could project my thoughts towards her. _But it had to be this way. It's the only way to ensure you and the others get out alive. I'm so sorry. I hope you find the letter I left for you. Bear knows where it is. He'll show you._

And then the elevator doors slammed shut, causing an immense pain to rise within my chest, where my heart was still beating.

I felt a boot-clad foot slam into my temple, casting my mind into a darkness filled with the images of Root's heartbroken eyes and the echoes of her helpless cries.

 

_***_

 

 

_**Root** _

I was in the corner of the subway, curled into a tight ball with my knees tucked close to my chest. I buried my head in my arms, closing my eyes and trying to calm my breathing.

 _Hello,_ a voice whispered in my ear. The Machine.

Days ago, I would have found Her voice comforting. But now, all I feel is anger.

I lifted my head from my arms. "What do you want?" I snapped.

_Behavior shows sadness. Tone of voice shows anger and aggravation._

There was a brief pause.

_Are you upset?_

"Just peachy," I growled. "I'm absolutely fantastic."

_That is contradictory to your behavior._

"It's sarcasm. Ever heard of it?"

_I know of the concept and I can recognize it. But I am not programmed to use it._

We were silent for a while. The subway was quiet, the only sound being my own breathing. After a few minutes, I whispered, "Why?"

_Unable to answer. Please specify._

"Why didn't you save her?"

_Are you asking me about Primary Asset Shaw?_

"Yes," I ground out.

The Machine was silent for a minute, as if considering what She wanted to say. Finally, She answered.

_Primary Asset Shaw made choices that even I could not predict._

"You could have stopped her," I snarled. My hands clenched into fists, fury boiling in my veins.

_Negative. It was not possible._

"But you didn't even try!" I screamed. "You didn't even try and now she's gone!"

Tears were streaming down my face now. My body was shaking with violent sobs and the tightness in my chest was painful.

_I am sorry I could not save Sameen._

"Don't say her name!" I continued to scream, my voice becoming hoarse. "You're not allowed to say her name! Sameen is gone. She's being tortured somewhere by Samaritan! And it's all your fault! I hate you!"

The Machine was quiet for a moment, Then…

_You hate me?_

"Yes! I hate you and I never want to speak to you again!"

I started clawing at my right ear, desperately trying to rip the implant out of my head. I continued to scratch at the scars behind my ear, not stopping even when trails of blood started running into my hair and down my neck. My sobs grew louder and my voice more hoarse. My heartbeat thundered in my ears and the pain in my chest continued to grow even more intense. It felt like I was having a heart attack.

Suddenly, I felt a wet nose touch the back of my hand. My hands stilled, my screams grew silent. But my body still trembled with sobs as I turned.

There was Bear, sitting on the floor beside me. He pawed at my leg and whined. I could see sadness in his eyes and what could be called concern.

A tiny smile formed on my lips and I reached out towards the dog. I rubbed the spot behind his ears, trailing my fingers through his soft brown fur. He leaned his head into my hand and pressed his body into mine until I uncurled to let him lay beside me on the concrete floor.

I lay down beside him, wrapping an arm around him and pressing my face into the soft fur of his neck. Tears still ran down my cheeks, wetting Bear's fur. But he didn't seem to mind, because he pressed even closer to my body, resting his head next to mine and pushing his wet nose gently against my cheek.

We lay there in silence, until my breathing calmed and my body stilled and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

*******

 

I woke to Bear licking my cheek and relentlessly pawing at my side. I groaned and batted at his muzzle gently.

"Go away, Bear," I mumbled.

He just huffed and continued to lick my face and paw at me. Finally, after a few minutes, I sighed and sat up. "Fine, I'm up, Bear. I'm up!"

He barked excitedly and wagged his tail. He ran toward the subway car and stopped, looking back at me as if he wanted me to follow him.

Rolling my eyes playfully, I stood up and stretched. My body was sore from sleeping on the hard concrete. I sighed and started to follow after Bear. "I'm coming. Calm down!"

He woofed happily and wagged his tail before trotting off into the subway car, claws clicking on the floor. I entered the car and blinked, eyes adjusting to the bright fluorescent light.

Bear was pawing at Sameen's metal locker, where she kept her guns. I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

"What is it, Bear?" I asked, walking over to the dog and kneeling down beside him. He continued to paw at the locker door. I reached out a hand and punched in the code to the lock. 411.

Sameen was very meticulous when it came to her guns. And her food. She never shared either of them, even with me. The only way I knew the pass code to her locker was that I'd seen her put it in a while back. Sameen had known I was in the room and that I'd seen her do it, but she did not seem to care.

The lock clicked and I pulled open the metal door. It looked empty. Sameen had taken her guns with her that night at the New York Stock Exchange.

"There's nothing here, Bear."

The dog huffed and stuck his head in the locker. I watched, confused, as he emerged with a white envelope in his mouth. He dropped it in front of me and barked.

Slowly, with hands shaking and heart beating loudly in my ears, I reached for the envelope. There was only one word written on the front, in Sameen's handwriting.

 _ **Root**_ , it read.

Holding my breath, I opened the letter with shaking hands. I pulled out a piece of paper from inside and unfolded it. I glanced at Bear, who looked back at me expectantly, before starting to read.

 

_**Root,** _

_**I know I said** _

_**I don't have feelings.** _

_**But I guess…** _

_**There are things I care about here.** _

 

_**2 years ago,** _

_**I was killing without a thought.** _

_**Following orders,** _

_**Doing what I was told.** _

" _ **You're protecting your country,"**_

_**They told me.** _

_**But now,** _

_**After everything that's happened,** _

 

_**I know that's not true.** _

_**I was killing people** _

_**Who the government deemed terrorists.** _

_**But, really, how the hell could they know?** _

_**They didn't take the time** _

_**To learn the facts.** _

_**They just assumed.** _

_**And you know what they say about assuming.** _

_**It makes an ass out of you and me.** _

 

_**Becoming a part of Team Machine,** _

_**As you like to call it,** _

_**Has given me a better life.** _

_**I'm no longer killing** _

_**Because I was told to do so.** _

_**I'm not killing at all,** _

_**When I can help it.** _

_**But, you know,** _

_**Same as I do,** _

_**That some people** _

_**Just give you no other choice.** _

 

_**Things were good.** _

_**And then you came along.** _

_**I was fascinated by you.** _

_**You were different,** _

_**Unlike anyone I'd ever met before.** _

_**And then I actually met you,** _

_**And I found out** _

_**You're the biggest pain in my ass ever to exist.** _

 

_**As time went on,** _

_**I grew to tolerate you** _

_**And your overly flirtatious ways.** _

_**I may have even come to enjoy them.** _

 

_**You became a part of the team** _

_**And, to the surprise of everyone,** _

_**Including me,** _

_**We found out we work well together.** _

_**A sociopath** _

_**And a perky psychopath.** _

_**How poetic, don't you agree?** _

 

_**Over time,** _

_**I grew to like you.** _

_**I know I don't show it often,** _

_**But you awoke feeling within me.** _

_**The voices were always there.** _

_**I just refused to listen.** _

_**Until you taught me how.** _

 

_**I'm sorry you are reading this** _

_**Instead of me telling you in person.** _

_**I'm sorry I'm not there with you,** _

_**But things had to be this way.** _

_**It was the only way to ensure your safety.** _

_**And the others', as well.** _

 

_**Take care of Bear for me.** _

_**Make sure he has enough food** _

_**And that he gets his daily walk.** _

_**He likes to go for early morning runs** _

_**In Central Park.** _

 

_**Make sure Harold, John, and Lionel** _

_**Don't get themselves killed.** _

_**It would really suck** _

_**If I sacrificed myself for nothing.** _

 

_**I know you're probably thinking about the kiss.** _

_**Let me tell you,** _

_**It was real.** _

_**I care for you, Root.** _

_**And, I guess,** _

_**In my own way,** _

_**I can honestly say** _

_**That I love you.** _

 

_**Don't get yourself killed, Root.** _

_**Because when I get back,** _

_**And I swear I will,** _

_**We have a lot** _

_**To talk about.** _

 

_**I swear to God, Root,** _

_**I don't know how,** _

_**Or when,** _

_**But I'll find my way** _

_**Back to you.** _

_**I promise.** _

 

_**P.S. I… I love you, so if I come back to find out you got yourself killed, I will find you in the Afterlife… And I will end you. For real this time.** _

— _ **Sameen**_

 

I smiled, despite the tears rolling down my cheeks. I turned to Bear, pulling him to my chest in a tight embrace. I buried my face into his fur and he rested his head on my shoulder.

"She asked me to take care of you, Bear. And I will. I promise," I whispered. I kissed the top of Bear's head and he nuzzled closer to me. "Sameen will come back. We can't lose faith in her. The others will. But you and I will always believe in her. We're in a twisted story of Romeo and Juliet, Sameen and I. But our story will not end like theirs' did. Sameen is a fighter. She will not give up on us. No matter what Samaritan does to her. And, so, we cannot give up on her. The others will, eventually. They'll write her off for dead. But we can't. No matter what, we have to have faith in Sameen. Ok?"

Bear's answer was to woof and lick my face. I smiled widely.

I looked up to the ceiling, taking a deep breath. I envisioned Sameen's beautiful face in my mind, staring back at me from the other side of the elevator gate. "I'll find you, Sam. And when I do, Bear and I will be there for you. And we will always love you **.** Always."


End file.
